Ink bag assembly

ABSTRACT

The embodiments of the present invention utilize an ink supply bag assembly contained in a housing, the ink supply bag comprising a printed circuit board, thereby allowing a printer to recognize and identify the ink bag assembly as well as the ink contained therein.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/640,432 (filed Dec. 31, 2004), thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposesas if fully set forth.

BACKGROUND

Typically, industrial and personal printing units have replaceablehard-sided ink cartridges, where subsequent to removal of the ink, theentire cartridge is discarded. Since printing units may use multiplecartridges simultaneously, and may require frequent replacement, thediscarding of ink cartridges is problematic as it results in largeamounts of waste, which is an environmental concern.

Furthermore, due to the frequent replacement of the ink cartridges,particularly in industrial printing processes, and the multitude ofcolors utilized in a single printing unit, an operator may mistakenlyinsert the incorrect color or ink type into the printing unit. This maylead to the use of improper inks for a particular application where thenecessary ink fastness is not present for a particular media (i.e. apaper of fabric) or the use of an incorrect color. These problems resultin a process that is neither time efficient nor cost efficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments of the present invention contemplate an ink bag assemblycomprising an ink supply bag; and a fitment that is fluidly connected tothe ink supply bag, wherein the fitment comprises an engageable memberhaving a printed circuit board integrated therein or affixed thereto;and the fitment further comprises a fluid outlet comprising a fluidbarrier.

The embodiments of the present invention also contemplate a housing forthe ink bag assembly, the housing comprising a lid and a body, where thebody comprises a floor, a plurality of sidewalls, a proximal end havinga proximal wall, and a distal end optionally having a distal wall,wherein the lid and body are capable of being mated so that the lidencloses the body to define a containment area. The housing alsoincludes a fitment receiving mechanism in the proximal end of thecontainment area to provide assistance in the alignment of the fitmentof the ink bag assembly.

The embodiments of the present invention also contemplate an inkcartridge, where the ink cartridge is the combination of the housing andthe ink bag assembly contained therein.

The embodiments of the present invention also contemplate a method ofloading the embodiments of the housing containing the ink bag assemblyinto a printer by inserting an embodiment of the ink bag assembly of thepresent invention into a housing to form an ink cartridge; and insertingthe ink cartridge into a printer.

Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the presentinvention will be or become apparent to one skilled in the art uponexamination of the following drawings and detailed description. It isintended that all such additional features and advantages be includedwithin this description, be within the scope of the present invention,and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the embodiments of the present invention can be morefully understood with reference to the following drawings. Thecomponents set forth in the drawings are not necessarily to scale.Moreover, in the drawings, the reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 depicts an elevated frontal view of an embodiment of an ink bagassembly.

FIG. 2 depicts an elevated frontal view of an embodiment of an ink bagassembly.

FIG. 3 depicts a frontal view of an embodiment of a fitment.

FIG. 4 depicts a frontal view of an embodiment of a fitment.

FIG. 5 depicts an exploded side view of an embodiment of a housinghaving an embodiment of an ink bag assembly inserted therein.

FIG. 6 depicts an elevated side view of an embodiment of an ink bagassembly inserted into an embodiment of a housing.

FIG. 7 depicts an elevated side view of an embodiment of a housing,wherein the lid is closed.

FIG. 8 depicts a frontal view of an embodiment of an ink cartridge.

FIG. 9 depicts an elevated side view of an embodiment of an inkcartridge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Where a range of numerical values is recited herein, unless otherwisestated, the range is intended to include the endpoints thereof, and allintegers and fractions within the range. It is not intended that thescope of the various embodiments of the invention be limited to thespecific values recited when defining a range. Moreover, all ranges setforth herein are intended to include not only the particular rangesspecifically described, but also any combination of values therein,including the minimum and maximum values recited.

The embodiments of the present invention enable the use of an ink bagassembly comprising a fitment and a printed circuit board integratedtherein or affixed thereto in conjunction with a ink supply bag(preferably disposable, soft-sided and flexible); wherein the printedcircuit board allows for the transmission of information including, butnot limited to, color, lot numbers, manufacturing location, etc.Furthermore, the use of the printed circuit board enables a printingunit (e.g. industrial printers, personal printers and the like) torecognize the disposable ink supply bag; such that an operator may beprevented from inserting the incorrect color or type of ink.

The embodiments of the present invention further contemplate a reuseablehousing capable of containing the ink bag assembly as described herein,thereby forming a printing cartridge capable of being inserted into aprinting unit, wherein the housing provides structural integrity andconsistency to the ink bag and aids in ensuring the proper positioningof the means for fluid communication and printed circuit board.

The embodiments of the present invention further contemplate an inkcartridge comprising a housing having an ink bag assembly containedtherein, such that the ink cartridge may be inserted into a printingunit.

An embodiment of an ink bag assembly (10) comprises (a) an ink supplybag (16); and (b) a fitment (11) fluidly connected to the ink supply bag(16) via a means for fluid communication (12), wherein the fitment (11)comprises an engageable member (14) having a printed circuit board (15)integrated therein or affixed thereto.

The ink supply bag (16) may be any bag that is known in the art.Preferably the ink supply bag (16) is disposable and comprises aflexible multi-ply laminate material having at least one plastic layersuch as, for example, polyethylene or nylon. Additional layers mayinclude metal foil if high gas barrier properties are desired. Examplesof suitable commercially available ink supply bag materials include, butare not limited to, the Cepac HD100 (available from Cadillac ProductsPackaging Company of Troy Mich.) and the Fres-pet (available fromFres-co Systems USA of Telford, Pa.). The ink supply bag may be of anysize typically found in the art.

The fitment (11) may be constructed of any material capable ofmaintaining its structural integrity during normal use, while alsoallowing for the integrating or affixing of the printed circuit board(15). Materials suitable for use as the fitment (11) include thosematerials known to those skilled in the art, but are not limited to,metal and plastic. For example a suitable plastic includes, but is notlimited to, a low density or high density polyethylene, which can easilybe connected to the ink supply bag via heat sealing. Examples ofsuitable commercially available low density or high density polyethylenefitments include, but are not limited to, those manufactured by MenshenPackaging USA of Waldwick, N.J. and Qosina Corporation of Edgewood, N.Y.

The fitment (11) and ink supply bag (16) are fluidly connected via ameans for fluid communication, preferably a fluid outlet (12). Othermeans for fluid communication are well known to those skilled in theart. The fluid outlet (12) allows for the ink to exit from the inksupply bag (16) and into a printing unit. The fluid outlet (12) maycomprise a fluid barrier (13), which acts to interrupt or prevent fluidflow until the printer engages with the ink supply bag (16). Suitableconfigurations of the fluid outlet (12) having a fluid barrier (13)include those known in the art including, but not limited to, anaperture/diaphragm or septum configuration (e.g. the septum is capableof being pierced using a means of fluid withdrawal as part of its methodof removing the ink (e.g. a needle) from the ink supply bag (16)), oruse of check valves or other automatically re-sealing fluid outlets suchas, for example, the Clean-Clic® (available from the InnovativePackaging Netherlands (IPN) Company).

The fitment (11) and printed circuit board (15) may comprise asubstantially unitary structure when the printed circuit board (15) isintegrated with the engageable member (14), wherein the engagementmember (14) is designed to accept the printed circuit board (15) inaccordance with those techniques known in the art. For example, theengagement member (14) may engage with or “grab” the edges of theprinted circuit board (15) to hold it in position. Alternatively, theprinted circuit board (15) may be affixed to the engageable member (14)such that it may be easily fastened in place using an appropriateadhesive. The printed circuit board (15) must be positioned on theengageable member such that when the ink bag assembly (10) is insertedinto the housing (20) and the ink cartridge (40) is inserted into andengaged with the printer, appropriate electrical contact is made withthe printing unit to enable electronic communication between the printedcircuit board (15) and the printer. The electronic communicationprovides for the relay of an electronic signal to provide informationboth to the printing unit and the operator, wherein such informationincludes general product information such as, for example, ink type, lotnumber, color and the like. Still further the printed circuit board (15)may act as an electronic key, wherein transmission of the correct signalallows for the printing unit to interface with the ink cartridge (40)and begin the withdrawal/flow of ink. Therefore, the use of incorrectinks or other fluids that could possibly damage the printing unit areprevented, along with damage occurring as a result of improperpositioning of the ink supply assembly (10).

The printed circuit board (15) for use in the embodiments of the presentinvention may be any of those commonly known in the art and commerciallyavailable. Typically, printed circuit boards (15) are constructedaccording to the particular application for which they are used. Thoseskilled in the art would recognize and understand the appropriateprinted circuit board (15) for use in the embodiments of the presentinvention capable of carrying out the desired functions.

The present invention also contemplates embodiments for a housing(preferably a re-useable housing) (20) for the ink bag assembly (10),wherein the housing (20) may be inserted and removed from the printingunit to allow for the replacement of an empty ink supply bag (16) withan entirely new ink bag assembly (10).

More specifically, the housing (20) comprises: (1) a lid (23); (2) abody (33) comprising a floor (22), a plurality of sidewalls (24), aproximal end (25) having a proximal wall (26), and a distal end (29)optionally having a distal wall (30), wherein the lid (23) and body (33)are removeably connected and define a containment area (21); and (3) afitment receiving mechanism (31) in the proximal end (25) of thecontainment area (21) to allow insertion of the fitment (11) of the inkbag assembly (10).

The housing (20) may be constructed of any material capable ofmaintaining its structural integrity during normal use. Materialssuitable for use in forming the housing (20) include those materialsknown to those skilled in the art, but are not limited to, metal andplastic. For example, a suitable plastic includes, but is not limitedto, ABS plastics (plastics based on acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrenecopolymers). The housing (20) can accommodate a variety of ink supplybags (16), although it is capable of receiving bags larger than thosetypically utilized in the art.

Preferably the housing (20) has a two-piece configuration, where the lid(23) is completely removable from the body (33). The lid (23) and body(33) are capable of being mated or connected so that the lid (23)encloses the body (33) to define the containment area (31), where thelid (23) may be snapped or otherwise replaced into position to providethe necessary structural integrity. Alternatively, the housing (20) mayhave a substantially unitary configuration such that the lid (23) may beconnected to or mated with the body (33) via hinges.

The proximal wall (26) of the housing (20) preferably comprises a holesuch as, for example, an aperture (27) and a slot (28). The aperture(27) is positioned in front of the fluid outlet (12) to allow for theremoval or withdrawal of the ink. The slot (28) is positioned in frontof the electrical contacts of the printed circuit board (15), therebyallowing for the printed circuit board (15) to be in electricalcommunication with the printing unit.

An alternative embodiment of the housing (20) comprises a configurationwhere the depth of the containment area (21) increases in the distal end(29) of the housing (20). Such an embodiment allows for the use of anink bag assembly (10) containing a greater amount of ink than may beused with the typical housing. This embodiment allows the housing (20)to contain a large volume of ink, preferably accommodating an ink supplybag (16) containing approximately 2-liters or more of ink. Thus, thisembodiment allows for longer operational time of a printing unit,thereby resulting in greater time efficiency.

A fitment-receiving mechanism (31) resides in the proximal end (25) ofthe housing (20), such that when the ink bag assembly (10) is properlyloaded and positioned in the housing (20) and properly engaged with theprinting unit, the appropriate electrical contacts and fluidcommunication are achieved. The fitment-receiving mechanism (31) ispreferably formed to place and align the fitment (11) of the ink bagassembly (10) into position so that there is no substantial slippage ormovement to result in a loss of electrical communication or fluidcommunication with the printing unit.

The housing (20) may further comprise a handle (32) such that it formspart of the body (33), where the body (33) and handle (32) are asubstantially unitary structure. The handle (32) aids in the insertionof the ink cartridge (40) into the printing unit as well as its removaltherefrom. The handle (32) is preferably comprised of the same type ofmaterials used to construct the housing (20).

The embodiments of the present invention also contemplate an inkcartridge (40), which comprises the housing (20) having the ink bagassembly (10) inserted therein. The ink cartridge (40) may be easilyinserted and removed from a printing unit.

The present invention also contemplates embodiments of a method ofloading the embodiments of the housing (20) containing an ink bagassembly (10) into a printer comprising:

(i) inserting an embodiment of the ink bag assembly (10) of the presentinvention into a housing (20) (preferably re-useable), thereby formingan ink cartridge (40); and

(ii) inserting the ink cartridge (40) into a printer.

Typically, the ink bag assembly (10) may be placed into the housing (20)where the fitment (11) is positioned by the fitment receiving mechanism(31). Thus, the fluid outlet (12) and printed circuit board (15) areappropriately aligned with their respective holes in the proximal wall(26) of the housing (20) to allow for both fluid and electroniccommunication between the ink cartridge (40) and the printing unit.Subsequent to having loaded the ink bag assembly (10) into the housingto form an ink cartridge (40), the ink cartridge (40) may be insertedinto the printing unit where upon its insertion; the ink may bewithdrawn and utilized by the printing unit.

1. An ink bag assembly comprising: (a) an ink supply bag; and (b) afitment fluidly connected to the ink supply bag via a means for fluidcommunication, wherein the fitment comprises an engageable member havinga printed circuit board integrated therein or affixed thereto.
 2. Theink bag assembly of claim 1, wherein the ink supply bag comprises aflexible multi-ply laminate having at least one plastic layer.
 3. Theink bag assembly of claim 1, wherein the means for fluid communicationis a fluid outlet comprising a fluid barrier.
 4. The ink bag assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is integrated with thefitment.
 5. The ink bag assembly of claim 1, wherein the ink supply bagcontains ink. (a) an ink supply bag; and (b) a fitment fluidly connectedto the ink supply bag via a means for fluid communication, wherein thefitment comprises an engageable member having a printed circuit boardintegrated therein or affixed thereto.
 6. The ink bag assembly of claim1, wherein the ink supply bag comprises a flexible multi-ply laminatehaving at least one plastic layer, the means for fluid communication isa fluid outlet comprising a fluid barrier, the printed circuit board isintegrated with the fitment, and the ink supply bag contains ink.
 7. Anink cartridge comprising an ink bag assembly and a housing containingthe ink bag assembly, wherein the ink bag assembly comprises: (a) an inksupply bag; and (b) a fitment fluidly connected to the ink supply bagvia a means for fluid communication, wherein the fitment comprises anengageable member having a printed circuit board integrated therein oraffixed thereto.
 8. The ink cartridge of claim 7, wherein the ink supplybag comprises a flexible multi-ply laminate having at least one plasticlayer.
 9. The ink cartridge of claim 7, wherein the means for fluidcommunication is a fluid outlet comprising a fluid barrier.
 10. The inkcartridge of claim 7, wherein the printed circuit board is integratedwith the fitment.
 11. The ink cartridge of claim 7, wherein the inksupply bag contains ink.
 12. The ink cartridge of claim 7, wherein theink supply bag comprises a flexible multi-ply laminate having at leastone plastic layer, the means for fluid communication is a fluid outletcomprising a fluid barrier, the printed circuit board is integrated withthe fitment, and the ink supply bag contains ink.
 13. The ink cartridgeof claim 7, wherein the housing comprises: (1) a lid; (2) a bodycomprising a floor, a plurality of sidewalls, a proximal end having aproximal wall, and a distal end optionally having a distal wall, whereinthe lid and body are removeably connected and define a containment area;and (3) a fitment-receiving mechanism in the proximal end of thecontainment area for receiving the fitment of the ink bag assembly. 14.The ink cartridge of claim 13, wherein the housing has a two-piececonfiguration.
 15. The ink cartridge of claim 13, wherein thecontainment area has a depth that increases from the proximal end to thedistal end.
 16. The ink cartridge of claim 13, wherein the means forfluid communication of the fitment of the ink bag assembly is a fluidoutlet, the proximal wall of the housing has an aperture positioned infront of the fluid outlet, the printed circuit board of the fitment ofthe ink bag assembly has electrical contacts, and the proximal wall ofthe housing has a slot therethrough positioned in front of theelectrical contacts.
 17. The ink cartridge of claim 13, wherein the inksupply bag comprises a flexible multi-ply laminate having at least oneplastic layer, the means for fluid communication is a fluid outletcomprising a fluid barrier, the printed circuit board is integrated withthe fitment, and the ink supply bag contains ink.